The plans for the restaurant, which could take around a year to build, were approved Wednesday Sept. 6 by the city’s Planning Commission, although some commissioners expressed unease about restaurant customers contributing to congestion at the intersection of Pechanga and Temecula parkways.

“It’s going to be a little tricky, I think,” said Commissioner Lanae Turley-Trejo on Friday.

Turley-Trejo ended up voting to approve the project after receiving assurances from city staffers that they would monitor traffic flow on that stretch of Pechanga Parkway and make sure entering and exiting the restaurant’s parking lot doesn’t become a problem.

The 13,000-square-foot restaurant, which is identified as Art Gaitan’s Mexico Cafe in planning documents, is slated for a 2.6-acre parcel near the Hazit Mini Market. Plans call for two outdoor patios, a loading area in the back that’s screened from parkway traffic and bike racks in the front.

Aaron Claverie covers Temecula and Murrieta for The Press-Enterprise. The San Diego State graduate has covered everything from the swirling form of a bullfighter to the machinations at city hall during a career that has included stops in Washington D.C., the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas and Arizona, Baja California, the Imperial Valley and Silicon Valley. He has been honored for both his work as an editor and reporter, including a first place award from the San Diego Society of Professional Journalists. In addition to his coverage of city affairs, Claverie has helped out on both the entertainment and sports desks over the years, covering the Palm Springs International Film Festival, Comic-Con International San Diego, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the NFL, NCAA football, MLS, NBA and MLB.

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